Martin Cutler
11 Nov 2002, 06:07 PM
Ok I'm not as good as MadridForever in setting up a post game review but I'll give it a try!
Real Madrid won an exciting match 3-2 with an injury time free kick goal by Luis Figo! In my opinion it was a result which flattered Madrid as Rayo outplayed Real Madrid for a good part of the match.
Here's the lineup Madrid used:
Real Madrid: Casillas; Salgado, Hierro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos; Figo, Cambiasso (Morientes, m.75), Makelele, Solari (Miņambres, m.57); Zidane (Guti, m.32) y Ronaldo
Madrid started off quite well and showed alot of mobility up top with Ronaldo, Figo and Zidane (which is very promising for the future). Madrid's 1st goal was a beauty as Zidane robbed the ball, fed Figo in the middle of the field who then hit a beautiful through ball to Ronaldo who finished it wonderfully. Un golazo!
Against the run of play, Rayo soon tied it up as Azkoitia got free of Makelele and fired a beautiful shot into the opposite corner of the goal beyond Casillas' fingertips. Otro golazo!
Zidane then left with a thigh injury I believe and was replaced by Guti. Madrid unfortunately began to lose their way and Rayo's midfield pressing began to control the middle of the field.
Madrid's 2nd goal was in my view a gift from the referee as a foul which I didn't think existed was called just outside the box. Roberto Carlos scored as his shot went underneath the wall and gave Exteberria no chance in goal for Rayo.
Rayo then tied it up as Julio Alvarez scored from a penalty kick which also seemed a gift from the ref. Looked to me more like a tumble of legs in the box and not a foul. The game looked to end that way when in injury time the ref once again got involved and called a foul against Rayo just outside their box which to me again didn't look to be a foul (was a legal shoulder charge in my eyes). The wall and keeper expected Roberto Carlos to once again take the free kick (it was in a similar spot as his earlier goal) but he faked the shot and Figo beautifully curled it around the wall for the game winner.
I thought Rayo, especially Bolo and Azkoitia, played very well. They fought hard, closed Madrid down in midfield and really deserved a point from the match. But Madrid's individual skills won the match for them. Again it was a somewhat disppointing game for them though. They still look like a group of individuals and not a team.
For me Madrid's best players were Roberto Carlos and Figo and their worst Cambiasso and Salgado. But frankly no one player really stood out for Madrid.
Real Madrid won an exciting match 3-2 with an injury time free kick goal by Luis Figo! In my opinion it was a result which flattered Madrid as Rayo outplayed Real Madrid for a good part of the match.
Here's the lineup Madrid used:
Real Madrid: Casillas; Salgado, Hierro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos; Figo, Cambiasso (Morientes, m.75), Makelele, Solari (Miņambres, m.57); Zidane (Guti, m.32) y Ronaldo
Madrid started off quite well and showed alot of mobility up top with Ronaldo, Figo and Zidane (which is very promising for the future). Madrid's 1st goal was a beauty as Zidane robbed the ball, fed Figo in the middle of the field who then hit a beautiful through ball to Ronaldo who finished it wonderfully. Un golazo!
Against the run of play, Rayo soon tied it up as Azkoitia got free of Makelele and fired a beautiful shot into the opposite corner of the goal beyond Casillas' fingertips. Otro golazo!
Zidane then left with a thigh injury I believe and was replaced by Guti. Madrid unfortunately began to lose their way and Rayo's midfield pressing began to control the middle of the field.
Madrid's 2nd goal was in my view a gift from the referee as a foul which I didn't think existed was called just outside the box. Roberto Carlos scored as his shot went underneath the wall and gave Exteberria no chance in goal for Rayo.
Rayo then tied it up as Julio Alvarez scored from a penalty kick which also seemed a gift from the ref. Looked to me more like a tumble of legs in the box and not a foul. The game looked to end that way when in injury time the ref once again got involved and called a foul against Rayo just outside their box which to me again didn't look to be a foul (was a legal shoulder charge in my eyes). The wall and keeper expected Roberto Carlos to once again take the free kick (it was in a similar spot as his earlier goal) but he faked the shot and Figo beautifully curled it around the wall for the game winner.
I thought Rayo, especially Bolo and Azkoitia, played very well. They fought hard, closed Madrid down in midfield and really deserved a point from the match. But Madrid's individual skills won the match for them. Again it was a somewhat disppointing game for them though. They still look like a group of individuals and not a team.
For me Madrid's best players were Roberto Carlos and Figo and their worst Cambiasso and Salgado. But frankly no one player really stood out for Madrid.